Hi, newbie here. I have been reading about pbc as well as few pages of discussion here. I am contemplating whether it is worth to get pbc complimenting my weber 22.5 kettle and smokenator. I have few successes with the weber. But so far, smoking is a challenge. I tried 2-3 times smoking pork butts, ribs and brisket. The pork butt was a success. But the other two were on chewy side.
Will pbc make smoking easier? Is it worth to get pbc or maybe i should just improve my skills on weber?
I have both and recommend both. I would have thought, having years of experience, that I would be better on the kettle but that isn't the case. I am better at grilling, but when it came to smoking it is a whole new set of challenges, and knowing how to grill isn't really helpful at all. Once I got the PBC and figured it out, it really helped my fire control and made me a lot better at using my kettle.
If I am cooking or smoking something small, maybe just one pork shoulder, I will use the kettle, for the rest I opt for the PBC. Ribs are no doubt a PBC thing, they are done faster and 8 at a time is no problem.
In a world of bigger is better, the PBC is the Honda of BBQ rigs: affordable, reliable, spacious and you always have that story about how your friend puked in the back. Throw away your Smokeanator and get the SnS, that's an easy answer for your week nite cooks. But there will come a day, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but it will come, that your friends and family love your BBQ to the point you find yourself cooking for a small crowd regulary. This is when the PBC holds its weight in gold. Buy it, cook everything possible on it when you get it, and then keep it for the rest of your life for those times you need it. You won't be sorry.
Before I read this thread I was considering going this route. I think that I'll get a PBC for my low and slow cooks and a kettle with a SnS for the smaller and faster cooks. Between the two, they should handle everything that I want to do. Thanks!
I agree with everything stated here. They are both in my backyard and I use them regularly. For Easter 22 lb Turkey on the pit barrel and an 18 lb ham on the weber. Knowing how to cook on both is essential.
Depending on what you choose to cook on a kettle (pork butts, full packer brisket), you can easily do 12-15 lbs of meat on the indirect side of the 22" kettle. That's without the second tier grate like the hovergrill. A kettle + SnS is a force to be reckoned with! Even more with the 26" kettle.
I recently did a full packer brisket on 1 1/2 chimneys of charcoal, fed 8 adults with leftovers. Perfect top end results on low end budget. Not to mention the amazing efficiency you get on charcoal use with the SnS. Can't be beat.
Huskee I agree with what you are saying. My issue was the quantity of meat and difficulty of maintaining temps when it is 0 or below & windy. I was going to upgrade to the 26" kettle but it cost near the same as the pit barrel. Well, the PBC won.
I have the Smokenator and recently acquired the Slow n Sear. The Smokenator was great for its time. The Slow n Sear is far superior. It's not even close. Since you already own a kettle I highly recommend adding a SnS.
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